Adjudicator John Lazarus is an internationally-known, award-winning Canadian playwright and teacher. He has taught at Studio 58, the Vancouver Film School, and the National Theatre School, and is presently a professor in the Drama Department at Queen’s University. For many years he worked as the Vancouver theatre critic for CBC Radio. In addition to the E.O.D.L., he has also adjudicated for Theatre B.C., the Association of B.C. Drama Educators, and the Sears Festivals, and this year he is adjudicating festivals for both the Eastern Ontario and Western Ontario Drama Leagues. His latest play, Trouble on Dibble Street, was produced this past summer at the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, Prescott, and his next play, Old Enough to Kill, will be produced on Queen’s campus by Gnu Ground this coming April. John is a graduate of the National Theatre School.

Peterborough Examiner Award for Best Visual Productionfor combined use of setting, signage, lighting and silhouette acting

Dundas County Players and Shoestring Productions - "Worth It"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Helen R McGregor Adjudicator's Award for representing a welcome trend in community theatre of presenting new, original work, and also for writing a hell of a good script

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Peterborough Theatre Guild Adjudicator's Award given for a very funny performance, and for successfully fooling the Adjudicator and, I hope, other audience members, by means of a triumphant, sustained, masterful feat of what I'll politely call gender bending

Vagabond Theatre - "Ruby of Elsinore"Michael DeWolfe as Ruby

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Colin Mawson Award for Outstanding Contribution by a Student for his backstage work as ASM, Sound Operator, and, I hear, supportive son of the Stage Manager

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Belleville Theatre Guild Acting Award for a subtle and sensitive comic performance as an unsubtle and insensitive actor, who at least enters with conviction

More Theatre - "This is a Play" Ian Stauffer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Mae Carmichael Award for Acting: for another paradoxical achievement: a graceful portrayal of awkwardness, in a character who is buoyed up by her dreams

Valley Players of Almonte - "Ladies of the Mop" Kate McDonough

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Pauline Grant Award for Acting: for a cheerful and exuberant performance that sparkled, literally and figuratively

Studio Theatre Productions - "Would You Like a Cup of Tea?" Joanna McAuley as Nola

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nepean Little Theatre Acting Award: for a nuanced, multi-leveled, perceptive portrayal of a man desperately trying to do and say the right thing in a difficult situation

Toto Too Theatre - "The Solider Dreams" Ken Godmere as Sam

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Penny Arril Adjudicator's Award : I wanted to honour this production, but I couldn't find a category to honour it in, because what makes the production so special is what's unique and unclassifiable about it: no one contribution, but the whole thing adding up to more than the sum of its parts. So this is an adjudicator's award for ensemble work